No Fail Pastry

Submitted by CountryLady

"Rolling the pastry in a manner similar to making puff pastry adds flakiness & makes the finished dough very easy to roll out. A flavourful topping for my Chicken, Leek & Lemon Pie or add 1 tbsp of sugar to the recipe for a sweet pastry. Cooling time for dough & cooking time for the pie is not included."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 1 pie

ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces
• 1⁄2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut in 8 pieces
• 1⁄3 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

directions

1. Combine flour& salt in a bowl.
2. With your fingers or a pastry blender, cut in butter& shortening until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
3. Combine wter& vinegar and sprinkle over flour mixture a little bit at a time, tossing together with a fork, until the pastry is moist enough to hold its shape when a little piece is pressed between your fingers.
4. Gather pastry into a ball- it should NOT feel sticky.
5. Flour the counter or pastry board lightly.
6. With a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out into a rectangle approximately 8 X 12 inches.
7. Fold the pastry into thirds (like a letter).
8. Turn the dough so the open edges face you& roll out into a rectangle again; fold into thirds again.
9. Repeat the step one more time.
10. Cover dough with plastic wrap& chill for 1 hour.
11. For smaller pies, use 1/2 of the dough; for larger pies, use 2/3 or all of it.
12. Unused dough can be frozen.
13. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch for your pie.